This recipe requires 4 “layers”. The rice, the beans, the “meat” and the corn salsa. I will break each ingredient list and directions down separately.

Cilantro Lime Brown Rice :

1 1/2 Cups Brown Rice

3 Cups Water with 2 TBSP of Chicken Granules

2 TBSP. Butter

1/4 Cup of Chopped Cilantro

The Juice of One Fresh Lime

Cook the rice according to the package directions but adding the chicken granules. Of course, for optimal results, I recommend using the microwave rice cooker. I added the water, rice, butter and chicken granules and cooked it for 20 minutes in the microwave rice cooker. I removed the rice, fluffed it with a fork, and stirred in the lime and cilantro. You can add extra according to taste, but remember this should be somewhat mild because the salsa and steak add their own amazing flavors.

Corn Salsa:

YUMMY Chipolte Inspired Corn Salsa

This is the BEST part of the burrito bowl! It is so easy to make and it makes the meal!

12 oz. or about 3 Cups of Frozen Corn defrosted, I like Trader Joe’s the best

1 Large Jalapeno Pepper

1/2 of a Small Red Onion

1/2 Cup Chopped Cilantro

The Juice of one Lime

1/2 tsp. Salt

1/2 tsp. black pepper

Combine the defrosted corn (I just leave it out in a bowl to defrost and then drain a bit before adding the other ingredients) with the remaining ingredients. Gently stir. I recommend adding slightly less of each onion, cilantro, Jalapeno and lime than called for above the first time you prepare. Reserve the rest to add after tossing and add them according to your taste.

The final layer can be your choice of meat or sofritas for those who prefer to go no meat.

Steak Layer:

1 1/2 lbs. Flank Steak

Steak Marinade:

2 TBSP Olive OIl

1/4 Cup Fresh Lime Juice

1 TBSP. Garlic

Black Pepper

Mix the marinade ingredients and place the flank steak in the mix for 30 mintutes up to 24 hours. You can consider adding cilantro to the marinade if you REALLY like a lot of cilantro flavor.

I suggest grilling the flank steak and then dicing it into bite size pieces. If you prefer to use the skillet, heat a heavy griddle with 1 additional TBSP of oil and cook the steak 2-3 minutes on each side. Allow the steak to sit for awhile before cutting.

EASY EASY CHEAT! If your local supermarket (Safeway carries it for certain) sells a pre-marinated steak like Marcela Vallodolid Flank Steak for Arrachera, it has the perfect flavor for the bowl and you can skip all the marinade and simply grill or pan cook and then cut!

OR…

Sofritas:

We enjoy meat at our house, but everyone LOVED the sofritas, too! It can be really fun to add sofritas to the steak or a chicken bowl! Warning, these can get really spicy so dial back the chipolte and spices and amp up the tomato paste a bit if you are not into the heat!

I have seen several recipes for sofritas out there that were quite complicated. I attempted my own less complicated and it worked out just great!

2 Tbsp. Olive Oil

2 Cloves Garlic or 1 Tbsp Minced Garlic from the Jar!

1 Tbsp. minced chipolte chilli’s in adobe

1/2 tsp. dried oregano

1 tsp. ancho chilli pepper

1 tsp. chilli powder or cumin

1/2 tsp. salt

2 Tbsp. tomato paste

1 12-16 oz package of FIRM TOFU–I like Trader Joe’s Organic Firm Tofu

6-8 ounces of light beer–Many recipes call for Mexican beer, but I used a domestic light and it was great. You may substitute chicken broth if you prefer to not use the beer.

To Prepare the Sofritas:

Heat a cast-iron skillet over medium heat and add the oil. Sauté the garlic with a bit of salt until it is softened, about 4-5 minutes. Add the chipotle peppers with a tad of the adobe, all the spices, and continue cooking and stirring until the spices are fragrant. 1 to 2 minutes will work.

Add the tomato paste and cook about 1-2 minutes until it is fairly well blended in and then add the crumbled tofu and beer (or broth) and cook until the liquid has reduced. This took about 5 minutes. NOTE: You will want to squeeze excess water from the tofu as a part of your crumbling. Taste and adjust the seasoning to your liking. Remember it will be mixed with rice, corn salsa, etc. so the spice will be a bit more tame, but add a bit of tomato paste if it is too much for you.

PUT IT ALL TOGETHER:

Now you have all those FABULOUS layers to put together in your burrito bowl! Simply layer rice, beans, corn salsa and then meat or sofritas or a combination of both. The picture above has a topping of shredded cheddar, that is how my kids like it, but I prefer some nice Cojita cheese on mine. I have been some add a layer of romaine to create a salad like bowl as well–we like ours best without!

You may choose to garnish with a slice of lime and/or cilantro if you’re feeling fancy, enjoy!

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